The Ludlow Massacre & the History of Eastern European Immigrants in Colorado

Courses in Commemoration of 200 Years of Greek Independence

Hosting Organization - Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Denver (OLLI at DU)

This course will take place on Thursday evenings from April 1 - April 29, 2021.

Description: This course will explore the story of the Ludlow Massacre and the historical context surrounding it. Students will trace the history of labor activism in early Colorado, leading to the larger story of eastern and southern immigrants making their way to Southern Colorado during the early 20th century. Along the way, we will examine the Ludlow Massacre through popular music, poetry, theater, and film. Students will meet local scholars whose work has contributed to this growing historiography. The course will culminate with an exploration of the legacy of Ludlow and Colorado’s early Greek and Italian communities, looking at the memorial and other public history that calls attention to labor issues today.

Instructor: Dr. James Walsh

Dr. James Walsh is a Clinical Associate Professor in Political Science at the University of Colorado Denver, where he has taught for twenty-three years. He specializes in Irish Diasporic Studies, as well as Labor and Immigration History and Politics. Walsh is also the founder of the Romero Theater Troupe, an all-volunteer “organic” community theater that uses the stage to preserve the history of human rights struggles.